Month: March 2016
Last night I was in Cork at the Alpine/Hardy Plant Society meeting. They had a members plant sale in which members bring in spare plants for sale and we were lucky enough to pick up two pots of Dactylorhiza fuchsii ‘Bressingham Bonus’.
Diane Clements of the Alpine Garden Society was the speaker for the evening. Diane is responsible for the seed exchange of the society and from the list of plants that she grows in her garden and under glass, it it would convert you to start sowing. The list was just so enticing that I have ordered three plants from Potterton’s Nursery this morning. I have uploaded a photo of part of her list which might be of interest.
I was in the garden most of the day today, a beautiful spring day, I was on cloud nine. Then I reckon I hit cloud ten when I spotted the Embothrium that Margot gave me in Johnstown 2014 is covered in flower buds.
It was the icing on the cake of a perfect day.
Thanks again Magot.
Delighted to see 4 flowers this year.
The weather has just been gloriously glorious. And we have deserved it after such a soggy winter. I took advantage of it my visiting some gardens in UK. What a complete thrill to enjoy winter gardens in full sun! As the rain is back today maybe some of you will be indoors and looking for something to watch…
UK Garden Visit – Bodnant, Wales, in early spring – YouTube
UK Garden Visit – Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, in spring – YouTube
And when I was there I also visited an orchid show…
North of England Orchid Society Show & What I Bought – YouTube
A lot more showers than dry spells here today so decided to overhaul what I think is a Tradescantia. It was pot-bound to say the least. Hopefully it feels a bit better now!
I got these Narcissus ‘White Lion’ at a ridiculous price last year, late in the season. So this is a first here for them. I do like them.
Also my first Rose is open – Climbing Rose ‘Iceberg’.
Showery day here.
Hacquetia epipactus is open now. It’s a nice addition to my North-facing border and doing well since planting it here.
First flower on one of the Auricula has just opened in the last few days.
Have a good Bank Holiday folks.
I decided to divide one the other day as it seemed to be in two sections. I managed to break off two leaves in the process but made the most of it and put them down as leaf cuttings. I have a plastic lid over them but took it off to take their photo! And now the photo won’t load! Third time lucky!
Friday was a lovely day here, not only was the Sun shining in the sky, this wee display was full of it’s own Sunshine.
No gardening done here today worth mentioning.
I was delighted to see the first of my Kennedy Primroses open today, P. ‘Drumcliffe’ and one that Peter Wiseman gave me a couple of years ago, P. ‘Dark Rosaleen’, also with dark foliage. I think the dark leaves are a great foil for these pretty little flowers.
Hens decided to lend a hand today so I let them at it . The Allium should have been in the ground but somehow ended up in a pot … Looks happy and the hens won’t damage it up on the table
Hens decided to lend a hand today so I let them at it . The Allium should have been in the ground but somehow ended up in a pot … Looks happy and the hens won’t damage it up on the table
I’ve had a Fremontodendron here a few years now. It was planted at an angle to the door of the greenhouse. As the greenhouse is West-facing, the sun creeps around the garden. And by the time it gets to the greenhouse (approx. 11.00am), the Fremontodendron no longer casts any shade on it.
However, I was getting a bit fed up with it. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great tree, and almost evergreen with a lovely shape and texture leaf. But I have a few shrubs in planters here that also need to be planted out. So last year, rather than dig it up, I just hacked away at it, just leaving the remaining trunk standing about 3ft proud of soil level, thinking it would just rot away. I had also been advised that if you disturb the soil where Tetrapanax is planted, it encourages seedlings to sprout up. And this is right beside the Fremontodendron.
Having recently bought my Edgeworthia, I figured that this would be the perfect spot for it Went out today to have a look and ‘lo and behold, the dratted thing is still alive. LOL. I reckon my murder plan went slightly awry. But that leaves me still with the dilemma of where to plant my Edgeworthia.
These two-toned blue muscari are now starting to come into their own. They are down in my shrub garden which I gave a good going over to earlier this year. We were lucky to get loads of mulch chippings – a neighbour down to the road had a lot of pines trees cut down and asked us if we wanted the shredded material. Over two days we got 40 bags (bagged up by ourselves) and I say half of it has nearly gone!!!! Second picture of a Toadstool in neighbour’s garden!!
Whenever I see Caltha palustris (Marsh Marigold) appearing, I know that summer is not far away. It’s starting to open now in two of the ponds. It’s a great little doer.
Got two new primulas today in Homebase – P. ‘Avondale’ which I’ve had before but lost it, and this lovely Cowslip.
Did you know that Homebase has been taken over by the Australian retail giant Wesfarmers. They’ll be churning out blocked stock as quick as it comes in. Prices have also been reduced all around the store since the store was taken over a few weeks ago. So far no reductions in their plants. But definitely worth keeping a check on.
Well, not the weather, which turned nasty as soon as we arrived, but the garden. Scotland is weeks behind, daffs showing but not a bloom. But here the garden is bursting – daffs, wallflowers, anemonies, pots looking sunny and lovely. I’m tied up all this week so won’t get out until the weekend, but boy, am I looking forward to it!
Morning!
Fran’s journal on his beautiful Grevillea promted me to get out and take a photo of mine, the photo shows two plants in a pot which I grew from cuttings three years ago! Three year’s ago I did not even know what a Grevillea was! I was out walking and saw the Grevillea growing in a public place and I thought it was a type of conifer!!! I really liked it, took a few pieces (because it was huge!) and stuck them in! I was amazed when they took AND when I saw the flowers come and worked out what it was! Or maybe someone here told me what it was!!!!
So very easy to grow from cuttings!
I have not written here for a while, my new garden is still quite like a field and now after all the rain of the winter I found I have some serious professional drainage to put in over the next few months. I am on a hill so I never thought I would have this problem but the water from the hill is running under my garage and could affect the foundation and of the garage and the house. It is a huge job with huge money, I have had a number of experts to look at it and there is no easy solution because of where the water is coming from and going to – so that is why it is costly! We are talking about bringing in 100 tonne of stone! Alot of my garden will be a mess for some time so all a bit daunting but has to be done! Don’t want the house to float away!
No doubt will be posting photos here of the destruction when it does happen!
Thats it, I couldn’t wait any longer . The four seed trays really compliment the Potted Cyad don’t you think? The seeds are all from seed purchased last Oct online from seedaholic. I love their little fliers with the seed . Amaranthus, Agastache, Achillea and Zinnea. You would think I bought alphabetically from a catalogue . Ha ha . Mary hasn’t seen these in the other window sill yet ….
I wonder if the papers are scaremongering about the coming weather? Ok, it’s been an exceptionally wet winter, but in March in the west of Ireland storms, snow, cold, sunny warmth and glum rain are all pretty normal – on the same day sometimes!
Meanwhile a few more flowers. The daffs have just shrugged off Storm Jake as if it were a mild breeze. And I’m delighted to see that the tulips my little granddaughter planted last year are in flower, she’ll be thrilled to see a photo.
Yes we woke up to this this morning!!
What a lovely sight. I do like snow but to look at and to walk in just for the day or so. I don’t think this will last as its to rain later.
Thankfully all my babies are under cover from last night. Hopefully we get this out of the way and there is better weather to come!!
I really WAS going to do work in the garden today. Oh well, it looks like it’s been put on hold yet again.
Drive safely, folks, and keep warm.
The weather gods, that is. We had a succession of terrible weekends and honestly, a Saturday watching a movie with your feet up and the fire lit is a wonderful thing, but weekend after weekend… aaagh!! Now we’re into March, we’ve both been busy and/or away and we really need to catch up. So it had better be a good weekend, that’s all. None of this snow lark. Or else!
I was wondering if any member knows anything about a collection of various Irish cultivars of daffodils growing in Fota. I do remember years ago there was a collection being put together by the head gardener. If anyone in the Cork area has any information if it exists or not I would love to know as we are coming into the daffodil season and for the last few years I have been promising myself to visit. Ireland has a long history of breeding daffodils as our conditions seems to suit their cultivation. Narcissus ‘ Rip Van Winkle’ is a Cork daffodil bred by William Baylor Hartland of Turner’s Cross.
